Mail-bag catcher.



M. owsm; MAIL BAG CATCHER. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 2. 1915.

1,138,296. Patented May 4,1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l- Mrlbwcski.

THE NORRIS PETERS C0,, FHOTGLITHO.. WASHINGTON, D. c.

M. JOWSKI.

MAIL BAG CATCHER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB- 2| HHS- 1;138,296. Patented May 4, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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M170 waltz WU v1 eooao THE NORRIS PETERS CO-, PHOTU-LIYHQ. WASHINGTON- D. C.

MICHAEL JOWSKI, OF NORTH TONAWANDA, NEW YORK.

MAIL-BAG. GATCl-IER.

Application filed February 2, 1915.

'10 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, MICHAEL JowsKI, a

subject of the Emperor of Austria, residing at North Tonawanda, in the county of Niagara and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Bag Catchers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in mail bag catcher.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a device positioned upon a mail car and adjacent the side door thereof and being adapted to receive and transfer to a point within the car a mail bag which is positioned at a convenient point along the track.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mail bag engaging means upon a mail car which will catch and deliver into the car without interrupting the travel thereof any mail bag mounted in a predetermined convenient position along the track such as adjacent to a railway station or post-oflice.

A still further object is to provide in connection with the positioning of a mail bag adjacent a car track of a swinging arm carried by the mail car and projecting outwardly through the open door thereof and adapted to automatically swing inwardly upon receiving a mail bag and being furnished with a trip actuated retaining latch at its free end automatically released upon the reception of the mail bag.

l/vith these general objects in view and others that will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings forming a part of this application and in which like designating characters refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views :Figure 1 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken through a side portion of a mail car provided with the present invention, the same being shown in a position about to receive a mail pouch. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal sectional view of the forward extension of the catching arm. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the device detached partly broken away and with the receiving bracket shown in horizontal section, the releasing positions Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 4, 1915.

Serial No. 5,727.

of the arm and mail pouch ring being shown in dotted lines. Fig. 45 is a bottom plan view thereof with the arm broken away. Fig. 5 is a side view of the catching arm and its operating lever detached and parts thereof being broken away, and Fig. 6 is a plan view of the rear side of the extension and adjacent portion of the arm, the engaging position of the mail pouch ring being shown in dotted lines.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, the present invention is illustrated in connection with the usual form of mail car 10 having an open side door 11, the device being mounted upon the side beam 12 and an inwardly projecting short beam 13 extending therefrom, it being noted that the mail bag 14 which is adapted to be caught by the device during the progress of the train and to be deposited through the door 11 and into the car is freely positioned by means of a ring 15 carried thereby bein slid upon the arm 16 of a bracket post 1% positioned adjacent the track, access to which is had by means of the platform 18.

A mounting plate 19 is flatly secured beneath the inwardly projecting beam 13 and adjacent the car door and has a swinging engaging or catching arm 20 hinged in a bracket lug 21 upon the said plate. This swinging arm 20 is slightly resilient and the arm 20 and the side beam 12. This upward swinging movement of the said arm positions the same within the transverse notch 24 of a cleat 25 secured to the lower side of the beam 12, while a spring-pressed pin 26 carried within a bore 27 of the cleat 25 and normally projected within the notch 24- automatically seats in a side socket 28 of the said arm 20 and retains the same in its operative position outstretched as best illustrated in Fig. 1; The arm 20 is provided with an angular extension 29 at its free end while a longitudinal groove 30 is provided in its inner side which communicates with a chamber 31 in the adjacent end of the said arm.

A retaining bar 32 is pivoted at one end within the said groove 30 and adjacent the free end of the extension by means of a transverse pin 33 and the said bar being preferably formed of metal is adapted to swing outwardly of the said groove by means of its own weight unless otherwise restrained whenever the arm and its extension are swung upwardly to a substantially horizontal position, as illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

A retaming catch is slidably mounted through a transverse partition 35 within the groove 30 and is normally projected by means of a spring 36 to a point beneath the bar 32 when the same is in its folded position as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 6 while an inner angular extension 37 of the said catch is positioned within the arm socket 31 and has an operating end plate 38 mounted thereon.

From this detailed description of the in vention, the complete operation of the device will be understood and may be explained as follows. The mail agent along the line of travel of the mail car positions his outgoing mail upon the bracket post arm 16 by means of the ring 15 attached to the mail pouch and it being desired to transfer such pouch to the car 10, the postal clerk upon the car swings the catching arm 20 by means of the operating lever 22 from the dotted line position to the operative position as illustrated in Fig. 1 and in which position the extension 29 is maintained in alinement with the pouch ring 15', it being noted that the pin 26 engages the arm socket 28. V hen the car proceeds to a point opposite the mail pouch, the extension 29 enters the pouch ring and by engaging the catch plate 38 releases the bar 32 which instantly falls to its locking position as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, while the contacting of the said ring with the arm carried catch mechanism slightly bends and shifts the arm laterally upon its mounting to a position illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 3, thus disengaging the arm from the spring-pressed pin 26 and allowing the weight of the arm and the mail pouch assisted by the expansion spring 23 to swingingly move the arm inwardly of the car door, thus transferring the pouch interiorly of the car after having slidably removed the same from the bracket post supporting arm 16. The locking bar may then be closed by the mail clerk and the mail pouch readily removed from the catching arm extension and the device will then be ready for a succeeding use thereof.

WVhile the form of the invention herein shown and described is what is believed to be the preferable embodiment thereof, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes may be made inthe form, proportion and details of construction without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim as new is 1. A mail bag catching device comprising a swingingly mounted arm, an operating lever for the said arm, a normally vertically positioning expansion spring attached to the p a said arm, a cleat having a transverse notch therein positioned in the line of travel of the said arm and at the extreme upper limit thereof, a spring pressed automatic arm engaging means carried by the said cleat, a mail bag engaging angular extension at the free end of said arln provided with a bottom groove, a weighted lock bar having one end pivoted to said extension within the said groove thereof, a releasing catch for the said bar, an operating plate for the said catch carried by the said arm at the base of the said extension.

2. A device of the class described comprising a swinging resilient arm, a vertical positioning means for the said arm, a stationary cleat having a notch. therein adapted for the reception of the said arm laterally shiftable therein, a resilient engaging catch for the said arm carried by the said cleat at one side of the said notch, an angular extension at the free end of said arm, a weighted swinging lock bar pivoted adjacent the outer end of the said extension and a resiliently held automatically releasable catch device for the said bar carried by the said extension and arm.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MICHAEL JOlVSKI.

Nitnesses DAVID GARLoox, AN'roNr Szrnaxowroz.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

